Two shelters maintained in Kingsport by the American Red Cross for hurricane evacuees from New Orleans closed this morning, according to a local Red Cross official.

"All the shelters are closed in Kingsport," said Anthony Morrison, executive director of the Greene County Chapter of the American Red Cross. "The evacuees left this morning around 6 a.m. aboard Greyhound buses. They pulled out with a Tennessee Highway Patrol escort -- headed home."

Some 400 evacuees from Hurricane Gustav had been assigned to shelters at the Kingsport Civil Auditorium and at the Colonial Heights United Methodist Church since last week.

Volunteers and staffers from the Greene County Chapter of the American Red Cross had helped operate the two shelters.

Morrison said 28 volunteers from the local chapter were involved in the operation of the two shelters.

"We had a great response," Morrison said.

He noted that volunteers from Greene County first went to Kingsport last Saturday, prior to the Saturday night arrival of the evacuees.

"It kind of worked like clockwork," Morrison said.

Morrison said Red Cross officials are now bracing for the potential of other hurricanes approaching the Atlantic seaboard.